A Night at the Bronze
by Errik's angel
Summary: A series of oneshots involving a story arch where Willow and Tara began dating during high school. This captures little moments in their relationship along the way.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This fic assumes that Tara went to high school with the other Scoobies and became close friends with Willow as they practiced magic together. It is just a quick oneshot, so all the details of how this came to be are not necessary. Everything else remains as close to canon as possible. **

**Also, just so you all know, I have not abandoned Earthquakes and should have an update for that story very soon!  
**

Tara awkwardly tugged at a string hanging off of her sleeve. She felt so out of place now that she was the only one in her friend group who was not seeing someone. Yes, there was no doubt she was the fifth wheel at that moment, what with Buffy casually shoving her hands into the pockets of Angel's overly large leather jacket as she gawked openly across the room to where he stood at the bar and Xander and Cordelia hardly able to keep from publically groping each other.

Sighing, Tara wished she hadn't come at all. She would much rather be holed away in her bedroom lost in Jane Austen or the like. The only reason she had come at all had been at the insistence of a certain someone she could deny nothing. No matter how much it may torture her, as was evidenced in her current, lonely predicament.

"Oz! Oz! Over here, man." Xander waved his arm obnoxiously in an attempt to catch the werewolf's attention.

Tara was impressed Xander had even noticed his entrance, given his apparent fascination with sucking on Cordy's tongue. Focusing in the direction that Xander was waving, she easily spotted Oz but was unable to locate a flash of red hair at his side.

Standing slightly on her toes, she tried to use her rather tall height to look over the crowd at the club, but as Oz approached it became obvious that Willow was not with him.

"Oz!" Xander patted him heartily on the back. "My mortal male companion is here!"

Oz lifted his hand in a little wave. Cordelia said nothing and Buffy did not even seem to notice his presence, her attention still focused on what Tara suspected to be Angel's ass.

"Hey Oz. W-where's Willow?" Tara asked, stumbling over her words as she felt a flood of betrayal. How could Willow not be here after begging Tara to come the night before? The whole night seemed to be imprinted permanently in Tara's mind.

"_Oh drat! Oh drat!" Willow exclaimed repeatedly, as the girls furiously stomped on the small flames coming from the carpet. _

_Tara hid her smile at Willow's idea of swearing. "I think we got it out," she offered._

_Willow's hand flailed out wildly. "Yes, but now the carpet is completely scorched! Ugh, do you smell that?"_

_Tara wrinkled her nose at the smell of the burnt carpet fibers and moved to open the window. "I guess no flame spells in the house. We probably should have seen this coming."_

_A grin spread over Willow's face. "Yeah, but it totally worked. I think it could take out a vamp no problem, maybe even two! Well, as long as we are together. I could never get that kind of power alone. No siree, my carpet would hardly be tinged if I had tried that one alone."_

_Tara smiled back. "You have lot of power, Will. You'll be able to do much more than this on your own in time."_

"_Maybe, but I sure like having you as my partner!" Willow suddenly launched herself into Tara's arms in an impulsive hug that nearly caused them both to topple to the ground. _

_Tara caught the thin girl, understanding her exuberant emotion. She felt the same way, desperately happy about the day she had walked into an empty classroom to find the junior floating a pencil. It had made her senior year the most pleasant academic experience of her life as she finally had someone to practice magic with, as well as her first ever friend group. Not to mention her immediate and ever-growing infatuation with the enthusiastic redhead, but that was a subject she like to avoid, even in the privacy of her mind. _

"_You know, if we just move that blue rug a little no one would ever notice," Tara suggested. _

_Willow agreed and they tugged it in place together. _

_Tara glanced out the window regretfully to see the now fully dark street. "I'd better get going."_

_Willow shook her head violently. "I don't think so. Just spend the night; it's way too dark and scary out there."_

"_I'll be fine, Willow. I live close and I'll call the minute I get in the door," Tara assured her. _

_A far too adorable pout crept across Willow's face. "But my parents are gone and this house is so big. You're going to leave me here alone in the dark when we could be all snuggly-wuggly together?"_

_Tara felt her face flush and she hoped Willow wouldn't notice. The fact that she desperately wanted to snuggle up in that inviting bed with the most beautiful girl was why was consistently rejected Willow's sleepover invitations, though it was getting harder to say no. However, Tara knew it would just give her a taste of something that she could never have, a fact which she felt inclined to remind herself of when she said, "I'm sure if you called, O-oz would come over."_

_Willow's eyes widened in fear. "Oh no! Our relationship is _so _not at that point. No! No way! No Oz snuggles tonight, just quality Tara time, while at the same time ensuring that you are not mauled by some creature of the night on your walk home. Please, Tara?"_

_Shifting her feet nervously, Tara knew she was about to give in. Her father would never notice she was gone, and Willow was right about the dangers of walking home alone at night. Of course, Tara felt those dangers paled in comparison to placing herself in a bed with the girl of her dreams, who had no inkling of Tara's sexuality nor that fact that Tara was in love with her._

_Apparently the lack of response was considered an affirmative for Willow, who was now pawing through her drawers. "Here!" Willow held out a pair of pajamas for Tara covered in pictures of tiny kittens chasing pieces of string. "Yay sleepover!"_

"_Oh alright," Tara finally agreed, unable to resist the cuteness. She couldn't bear the thought of disappointing Willow when she seemed so excited about the prospect of Tara spending the night. And it was a big house. Tara wouldn't want to sleep alone there either._

_They turned their backs on each other to change, but Tara turned around a moment too soon and glimpsed Willow's long, bare back before her rubber ducky top slid down all the way. The sight of the creamy, intoxicating skin caused her cheeks and other parts of her body to feel incredibly hot. _

_After they both took their turn in the bathroom, they climbed in on opposite sides of Willow's bed. Tara quickly realized that Willow had been completely serious about her desire to be all "snuggly-wuggly." As soon as Tara had settled in, her arms were filled with a squirmy body as she inhaled a mouthful of red hair. _

"_Is this ok?" Willowed asked once she stopped moving about. "Buffy doesn't let me snuggle her, she likes space when she sleeps I guess."_

_Tara couldn't breathe for a moment. It was so very much okay to have Willow nestled tight against her. Every moment she had spent imagining it couldn't live up to the reality and she marveled at how well they seemed to fit together. _But she's not yours. She never will be, _an annoying voice in her head had to remind her. _

_Choosing to ignore it for the moment, she wrapped her arms around Willow. "Y-yeah. It's ok. I li-like it." Tara couldn't stop herself from lowering her face to smell Willow's hair. She willed herself to stay awake all night and enjoy every moment that she held this girl in her arms. _

_Willow yawned loudly. "Are you coming to the Bronze tomorrow, Tar?"_

"_Um, probably not," she responded honestly. _

"_What?" Her previously sleepy companion shifted abruptly, and Tara grunted when Willow elbowed her in the face in the dark. _

"_Whoops, are you ok?" Willow's hands were all over her face checking for injury. "Your cheeks are hot, do you feel alright?"_

_Tara knew they were growing ever hotter now that Willow's hands were cradling them gently. "I'm fine."_

_Willow settled back into her arms. "Look at me – I beg you to spend the night and then nearly give you a black eye. But really, why aren't you bronzing it up with us? Please, please. Oz's band is playing and I'm going to be all alone now that Xander has lost his mind. Was he not a founding member of the _I hate…_"_

_Tara snickered at Willow's ability to talk and cut her off. "It's just weird for me, being the only single one."_

"_It's weird for me too!" Willow agreed. "I mean, I know I'm not, but it feels that way when Oz is on the stage. Please come, Tara." Ever in the dark Tara could tell she was pouting._

"_Ok, I'll come," Tara finally consented. "Just promise you'll keep me company."_

"_Promise!" Willow moved to lay down again more cautiously this time and mindful of Tara's position. When their bodies were flush against each other Tara had to stop herself from trembling. _

"_Goodnight," Willow yawned, her body rapidly growing limp._

"_Night, Willow," Tara whispered._

Tara was brought back to the present by the sound of Oz's voice. "She went home," he stated simply.

"Just now?" Tara put aside her shy nature for a second and pestered Oz with questions. "It's dark by now, isn't it? You let her leave alone?"

Oz shifted a bit uncomfortably. "We had a bit of a disagreement."

Tara felt like shaking him to get more words out of the stoic man. She grabbed her jacket off the table, intent on finding someone who would never give such short responses.

"She can't be alone out t-there!" Tara exclaimed.

"What now?" Buffy tuned back into the conversation as it entered into territory that encompassed her job description.

"Willow and Oz broke up, so he left her and her vulnerable neck alone to get home," Cordelia offered helpfully.

Everyone looked sharply at Oz who still said nothing.

Frustrated, Tara yanked on her jacket. "I'll go."

"No, Tara…" Buffy started.

"Don't worry, I've got it," Tara assured her, revealing the stake and holy water carefully tucked into her jacket. "Plus I know a couple spells that will work. You stay here and have fun with Angel."

Buffy nodded slowly. "You are an accomplished witch. Just keep her safe."

Tara nodded. If Buffy only understood how much Tara loved the little redhead she would never have to say that. Tara would always do everything in her power to keep Willow out of harm's way.

Pushing through the crowd, Tara broke into a light jog and nearly ran right past where Willow tucked in a doorway just outside of the entrance.

"Hey you," Tara greeted her softly and sat down, refraining from mentioning how incredibly stupid it was for her to be hanging out in that alley alone.

"Tara," Willow whimpered, looking up for long enough for Tara to see her red-rimmed eyes.

Tara put a friendly arm around her back. "Everyone is worried about you," she stated simply, not pressing Willow to explain.

As Willow burrowed into her shoulder and let out a sob, Tara kept careful eye on their surroundings. While they were near enough to the Bronze that it was still well lit, she had seen far too many vampires in this alley to let down her guard.

"Will you take me home?" Willow asked quietly after a few minutes of crying.

"Yes," Tara answered, relived to leave the area.

They walked at a brisk pace through the dark city without talking, for once fortunate enough to make it back without confrontation. Tara kept a diligent watch as Willow unlocked the door until they were both safely over the threshold of the dark house.

Without turning on the lights, Willow took Tara by the hand and expertly guided her through the dark house until they reached her bedroom. Willow immediately curled up on the bed with her stuffed dog and Tara flicked on the light so they weren't sitting in the dark.

With a dramatic sniffle, Willow finally started talking. "Tara, it was just awful! I didn't mean to react like that, but I did and then before I realized what was happening we broke up."

Tara sat down on the edge of the bed and rubbed Willow's back in a comforting motion. "What happened, sweetie?"

"I thought I liked him, Tara. I mean, I do like him. I guess just not in that liking liking kinda way. I don't know, all not liking him like I should if we're dating," Willow rambled.

Still extremely confused, Tara tried to get some clarification without being overly nosey. "What made you realized that, Will?"

Willow became very concerned with petting her dog's head as she spoke. "Well, you know we haven't kissed, not really at least. I mean, we have, but it's all been very short and dry and not like, you know, that thing people do with their tongues and stuff?" Willow glanced up at her desperately.

"Yes, I know what you mean," Tara assured her.

"Well, but then, right before we came in, he tried to kiss me like that," Willow continued, and Tara had to try not to flinch at the thought of it. "But I didn't let him! And then all of a sudden I couldn't stop talking, and I told him how I didn't think I had ever felt like that about him. I think I just wanted a boyfriend in a band and to fit in. But it's not him I'm attracted to, it's never been him." Fresh tears fell down her cheeks and Tara tried to pull her into a comforting embrace, but to her surprise, Willow ducked away and curled into the pillows.

"Xander?" Tara asked softly.

Willow shook her head and buried her face in the dog, mumbling something that Tara couldn't understand.

"I can't hear you, sweetie," Tara told her gently.

Willow pulled her red face up. "It's not Xander," she repeated, and then hid in the stuffed animal once again.

"Ok," Tara answered simply, not pressing the issue. Willow would always come out and tell her these things with a little time, babbling in a somewhat alarming manner while she did so.

After a couple minutes, Willow sat up and looked at Tara intently. "Tara? If I do something, do you promise we can still be friends? No matter what?"

"Willow, I'll always be your friend."

Then before Tara realized what was happening, Willow had crossed the distance between them and the lips that touched Tara's were softer than she ever imagined. It was quick and chaste and Tara barely had time to kiss her back before it was over.

Tara still had her eyes closed and was reliving the moment when Willow started talking. "I'm sorry, so sorry. Please don't hate me. Oh and I was all gross and snotty." Tara opened her eyes to see Willow furiously wiping at her eyes and nose.

"I could never hate you," Tara whispered.

Willow reached for a tissue and mopped the still falling tears from her eyes and blew her nose loudly. "I'll never do it again, please, can everything just go back to normal?"

Tara mind was reeling and she knew she needed to respond appropriately and fast before her dreams slipped away. "Willow, Willow. I d-d-don't…" Tossing aside words for the moment, Tara pulled Willow close and kissed her softly, hoping that she would get the message.

When she pulled away, she was met with Willow's wide-eyed stare. "Wait, you aren't mad? Or grossed out?"

"Far from it." Tara could feel goose bumps rise on her arms at the memory.

"Even with the snot?" Willow pressed.

Tara finally managed a smile. "I didn't even notice." And it was true; the moment had been so beautiful a sniffling Willow could do nothing to diminish it.

"Can we do it again?" Willow asked rather eagerly.

Tara felt a wide, dopey grin spread across her face. "Always, Wi-…" Her response was swallowed as Willow leaned across again to give her a longer kiss that lingered intimately in a way that made Tara want to toss Willow onto the bed and do things to her that would be widely inappropriate after only sharing a couple sweet kisses.

"Wow," Willow breathed. "I think I would like doing that tongue thing with you."

Tara laughed and squeezed Willow tightly against her. "You're adorable."

Willow spoke from where she was nuzzling into Tara's shoulder. "Will you spend the night with me again?"

Tara nodded, keeping Willow close as a single tear dripped down her nose and onto silky red hair. This was still incredibly new and there was much conversation left to be had, but Tara knew that tonight she would not be cuddling up with an impossible dream. Instead it was a possibility for the future. The best future she ever could have hoped for.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I had truly planned on this being a oneshot, but then I wrote this piece. It is somewhat of a stand-alone, but it assumes the universe I established in the first part, that Willow and Tara began dating at Sunnydale High. So I decided to keep them together instead of putting this as a separate oneshot. This takes place about 6 months after the first one and our girls have been dating happily since. I have a couple more ideas for this Willow and Tara, so there may be more at some point. Enjoy!  
**

Willow paused from her task of organizing Tara's books on a shelf by subject and author to look over at her girlfriend who was humming quietly as she hung clothes in a tiny closet. Tara seemed so excited to start college and Willow was insanely jealous. While Tara would be surrounded by all the benefits of higher education and true enthusiasm for learning, Willow would be stuck finishing her time at Sunnydale High with all the slackers and monsters.

At that moment, Tara turned around and their eyes met.

"What?" Tara asked with a smile that made Willow's heart go all fluttery and prevented her from processing the question.

"Huh?" Willow managed after a brief silence.

"You were staring at me."

"Well, yeah," Willow stated immediately. That part was easy enough. "You're over there all gorgeous and hum-y."

"Sweet-talker," Tara responded. "But I can see that Willow-brain working away. What are you thinking about?"

Pausing briefly to collect her thoughts and try to avoid a full out babble-fest, Willow reflected on the day. The reality of Tara going to college hadn't hit her until the gang had met up to haul boxes into Tara's new dorm room. They had been kept busy all morning, but now that it was just her and Tara left to arrange the final touches she had plenty of time to obsess over what this change would mean.

"I'm dating a college-girl," Willow finally explained, knowing that simple answer wouldn't satisfy Tara, but it was all she could come up with to express her emotions.

"Hmm, I guess you are," Tara responded flirtatiously as she crossed the room to stand closer to Willow. "Does that turn you on?"

Willow felt her cheeks heat up. Even after over six months together, it still shocked her when her sweet, shy girlfriend made comments like that. Still she answered truthfully, "Yes, incredibly so." But then the babble-gate broke and words started tumbling out. "But now you're going to be so far away and I'm worried about what's going to happen to us. Are we going to be okay? And are you going to want to be with me now that I'm just this little high-school kid and they'll be hot college women tripping over themselves to be with you? Do I have to put out now? I mean, you're in _college_, that's kind of expected, ri-"

Willow suddenly felt herself propelled forward as Tara hooked a finger in the strap of her purple overalls and gave a gentle tug. She tipped into Tara's body, but was immediately supported by a gentle arm around her waist and the urge to talk was quelled as warm lips covered her own.

With a relaxed sigh, Willow let herself fall against Tara's soft and comforting body. When the kiss ended, she was content enough to just gaze at the most beautiful blue eyes in the world as Tara's gentle fingers ran through her hair.

"You are absolutely adorable." Tara spoke in the tone that was always soothing to Willow. "But you need to relax. I'm going to be a mile away. We'll still see each other every day."

Willow gave her a slight pout. "But it's not the same. I like you in the same building all day and four blocks away at night."

"More like four inches," Tara teased. "You are too good at tricking me into sleepovers."

Willow grinned. That had been her master plan since even before she and Tara had begun dating, and the snuggly-wuggly nights together had developed into a consistent habit. Now Willow could hardly sleep without Tara in her arms.

"But Willow," Tara said gently, "You must know how much I love you and how perfect I find you. You are the only person I want to be with – I don't care how old you are and I don't want to do anything that we're not ready to do."

Frowning at a major logic hole in Tara's response, Willow couldn't prevent herself from arguing. "You do care how old I am, at least to some extent. You wouldn't want to date me if I was, say, six or like forty."

"Maybe not," Tara agreed. "But you are seventeen and completely perfect for me." Tara bopped her nose lightly before finding her lips in another kiss that turned her insides to mush.

After they broke apart, though, Willow could feel tears prickling the undersides of her eyelids.

"Darling…" A soft caress brushed her cheekbone and the tears suddenly started falling of their own volition.

"I'm really going to miss you," Willow managed to blurt out before burying her face in Tara's chest and sobbing a little.

All logic told her it was an overreaction. Willow was perfectly aware that Tara had picked UC Sunnydale in large part because of their relationship, despite her insistence that it was the ideal location to practice magicks and that she wanted to help Buffy protect the world. The campus was close enough to town that it would be easy to see each other whenever they wanted, but Willow still worried about how this change would affect their still relatively new relationship.

However, it was hard to remain panicked and upset with her face in Tara's cleavage and the current position of her mouth was motivation enough to calm down and take advantage of this situation. While neither of them felt ready to do anything below the beltline, there were plenty of other _activities_ that they both thoroughly enjoyed.

Willow felt Tara moan softly as she began placing gentle kisses along the soft skin of her chest, which encouraged her to gently pull down the neckline of Tara's shirt to get closer to the tops of her breasts. When she found that further progress was impossible without permanently stretching out the top, Willow snuck her hands up the bottom and started lifting as she walked Tara backwards towards the newly made dorm bed.

"Willow…"

Willow recognized Tara's warning tone, the one she had heard frequently in the last six months. _Willow, your parents are home. Willow, we're in a classroom. Willow, this is the Bronze, not your bedroom_. Yes, she had heard it many times before which is why it was so easy for her to discern the arousal Tara was attempting to conceal.

With a precisely placed nudge, Willow got Tara to fall back onto the bed and follow so she was lying on top of her girlfriend's body. Tara was warm and soft and Willow quickly got back to her very important task of lifting up that pesky shirt.

"My roommate could be here any minute, Will," Tara argued, but the way she moaned the end of the sentence told Willow that she was enjoying this very much, despite any protests.

"We'll hear the door open," Willow pointed out, sure that they would be able to disentangle themselves before anyone could walk into the room. After all, Willow had led them through emergency drills in her bedroom to reduce the chances of her parents walking in on them. Not that they ever came in her bedroom anyways, but Willow didn't want to risk it. While her parents were liberal enough to accept that their daughter was in a same-sex relationship, she did not think that they would support the unsupervised sleepovers that she and Tara so enjoyed.

That worked to stop any further protests from Tara, and Willow was able to lift the shirt to where she wanted it. Running both hands down Tara's chest, she enjoyed the feeling of silky skin, but soon became impatient and popped a perfect breast out of Tara's bra to wrap her mouth around the nipple.

Losing herself in the feeling, Willow ran her tongue in circles around the pebbled peak, reaching a hand up to lightly caress the other breast through the fabric in which it was still incased. Tara's fingers had at some point wrapped in her hair and Willow enjoyed the tugging sensation as she turned her head to switch breasts.

"Ok, my turn," Tara said after a few minutes, her voice practically a growl. The tone excited Willow so much that she hardly had time to process the implication of the words before Tara had flipped them so Willow was flat on her back.

"Wha-" Willow started to say, but was interrupted by Tara unclipping her overalls and flapping the bib down. Whatever question she had been going to ask was rendered insignificant as Tara reached down her sides to yank up Willow's shirt.

"No bra?" Tara teased.

"No, cuz with overalls and the small boobs," Willow tried to explained, fighting to keep her focus as Tara gently pinched each of her nipples between an index finger and a thumb. "Um, it's just that, they're small and the overalls and …"

"They are the perfect size," Tara responded. "And I like it when you don't wear a bra, so no need to defend that choice."

"Uh, ok," Willow agreed readily, closing her eyes as Tara bent her head down to start feathering kisses down her neck.

Willow was beginning to feel uncomfortably aroused, what with the way Tara's thigh was pushing the seam of her pants into just the right spot and the lips that were now kissing slow circles around her breasts. She couldn't stop her hips from pressing forward, increasing the friction in a way that made her gasp.

"Does that feel good, sweetie?" Tara asked with a low growl, and Willow felt the thigh press more firmly into her center.

That was all it took to encourage Willow to start grinding shamelessly against Tara. While it wasn't quite enough to get her _there_ the feeling was delightful and Willow hoped that she wasn't making a wet spot on the crotch of her pants, though it would hardly surprise her. Her body had been telling her for some time now that it was ready to take these make-out sessions with Tara to the next level, even if she and Tara had decided to wait.

However, her body was quickly beginning to win over her brain. She and Tara loved each other. They felt safe with each other. They were aroused by each other. Why shouldn't they make love? It seemed Tara would be perfectly willing, given how she was sucking on Willow's nipple and thrusting her thigh forward in a steady rhythm.

It was probably this level of distraction that prevented either of them from hearing the door open and it was only the shriek that alerted them to the fact that they were no longer alone.

Tara responded faster than Willow and tugged both of their shirts down before rolling off to one side. Willow lay there in abandoned shock for a moment, before she felt Tara's insistent prodding on her side. Realizing that there was another person in the room, she sat up and turned her back to the newcomer as she refastened the straps of her pants.

"I-I'm Tara. You-you must be my new r-r-r-r-roommate," Tara was saying, and Willow was flooded with guilt when she heard how badly her girlfriend was stuttering. Willow knew how nervous Tara had been about meeting her roommate, and the introduction was that much more awkward now that they had been caught in a heavily make-out session.

"Not anymore," the voice responded. "I'm going to find the RA and get switched."

"W-w-what?" Tara asked.

Willow turned around at that to look at the girl standing in the doorway holding a cardboard box. She was nothing remarkable, with mousy brown hair and a medium stature, but the expression on her face was of pure disgust.

Feeling the need to step into the conversation, Willow said, "Hey, we're really sorry we got off on the wrong foot. But Tara's the nicest person you will _ever _meet. You'd be crazy not to want to live with her."

"Really?" the girl responded sarcastically. "Crazy not to want to live with a f-f-fucking dyke?"

That caused something inside of Willow to snap. No one was allowed to tease Tara about her stutter and to insult her on top of that? Completely unacceptable.

Channeling a move that she had seen Buffy perform countless times, Willow crossed the room in three angry steps and slammed the girl against the wall, causing the box to fall from her arms and toiletries to scatter across the floor. Even without Slayer strength, Willow had the advantage of surprise and adrenaline to easily pin the taller girl.

"You take that back right now," Willow demanded.

"Willow, stop." Tara was tugging at her arm, and with another threatening look at the girl, Willow let her go.

With a shocked expression, the girl eyed both of them with horror. "You are both insane. I'm going to find the RA." She spun around and took off down the hall.

Tara started gathering the fallen items from the floor and putting them back into the box. "I'd better go after her. I'm sure the RA will want to talk to me too." She picked up the box once everything was put back.

"Yeah, I'll come with," Willow agreed. She would not have her baby getting in trouble on her first day at college for something that had been the fault of some intolerant bitch.

"No, I should go alone."

"What? No way, Tare. If that girl thinks she can get away with this…" Willow trailed off, not sure where her threat was going.

"Willow, please stay here," Tara insisted, a pleading look in her beautiful eyes.

Willow couldn't argue, not after the mess she had created for Tara. She watched her girlfriend go down the hall after the other intended occupant of the room, feeling horribly guilty and slightly sick to her stomach. She was so upset that someone would ever think to treat Tara like that, and baffled that Tara had hardly bat an eye.

After several painfully long minutes of torturing herself in her head, Tara finally returned.

"It looks like I'm going to have a single," Tara announced. "Unless they need the space, but that's unlikely with the dropout rate here."

"What!?" Willow could not believe that anyone had let that girl get her way.

"I think it's for the best, Will," Tara said, sitting heavily down on the bed.

"But I don't want you here alone, all isolated. You need to be meeting new people and making friends. That girl had no reason to switch. None. She would be lucky to live with you." Willow paced angrily back and forth in front of the bed.

"I'll meet people. There's a wicca group I'm going to join, and maybe the Lesbian Alliance. I like having my own space, you know that."

"How are you being so calm about all of this?" Willow exclaimed, her blood still boiling over the whole thing.

Tara patted the spot on the bed next to her. "Come here."

Willow hesitated, but couldn't resist the opportunity to be close to Tara for long. Collapsing down on the bed, she found herself immediately feeling calmer as Tara's arm wrapped around her and a hand started toying with her hair.

"Sweetie, I know you live in this liberal bubble where everyone accepts everyone else."

Willow opened her mouth to protest. She did not live in a bubble. She prided herself on being aware of the world and the issues facing different people.

Her protest was cut off as Tara continued, "I lived in a really small town before I moved to Sunnydale so people like that girl don't surprise me. But I know that they're the ones who are wrong, so I don't let it bother me."

Willow sighed. Tara was always so insightful. "Sorry I ruined move-in day."

"You didn't ruin anything." Tara leaned down and brought their lips together in a soft kiss. "I would have been miserable living with someone like that."

"I just don't want you to be lonely."

"I won't be," Tara assured her. "Besides, think of all the advantages of a single. We finally have somewhere to lock the door and know that no one will bother us."

Willow brightened at that thought, and shifted in Tara's arms so they could look at each other.

"I love you, you know that?" Willow asked. "And again with the really sorry." She pressed her forehead lightly against Tara's.

"All's forgiven. And I love you. So very much."

Willow pressed her lips against Tara's then pulled away to push her back onto the bed and say, "Let's see what we can do with this single."

**Hope you liked! Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**The third and possibly final part of this little series of oneshots. I have no other immediate ideas for this storyline, but I'm also not going to mark it as complete quite yet. Let me know if anyone has other moments they would like to see in this and I'll see if I'm inspired. **

**This is my first attempt at writing girl-girl sex. Oh the pronoun issues! I hope that it is understandable. Please note any glaring errors and let me know what you think. I was trying to capture the awkwardness of a first encounter but also keep it sweet. I hope that comes across :)  
**

**Update to Earthquakes within the week!  
**

"I had fun tonight," Tara told Willow as she unlocked the door of her dorm room. "It was nice to see everyone."

"Silly, you see us almost every night. Which is very above and beyond, you know," Willow responded. "Your professors actually expect real work out of you, unlike the fools at Sunnydale High. It's okay if you need a break from fighting evil every once and a while."

This was not the first time that Willow had made this particular argument, and Tara replied her standard response, "It makes me feel better to know that you're safe."

"Buffy can keep me safe."

"I know." Tara sat down on the bed and pulled her girlfriend onto her lap. "But I like to think that I have a more vested interest." She nuzzled her nose into Willow's neck and kissed the soft skin to make her point. "What I meant earlier was that it's fun to see the gang when we're not all fighting for our lives."

Willow giggled. "The gang, huh? We really have converted you." She then shifted and Tara loosened her arms in response. Willow squirmed until she had turned completely around, straddled across Tara's thighs so they were nose to nose.

"You know what my favorite part of tonight was?" Willow asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Hmm?" Tara ran her hands idly up and down the sleeves of Willow's rainbow stripped sweater.

"Dancing. In the dark. Pressed up against you."

"Feeling me up. At the Bronze. In front of our friends," Tara retorted good-naturedly.

"We were in a corner," Willow justified. "Beside, can I help it if your boobs sit there taunting me? 'Willow, willow, touch us. Please, please touch us.'" Her voice reached an alarming pitching by the end of the sentence as her 'boob voice' became more and more exaggerated.

"Oh, is that what my boobs sound like?"

"Yep! I really can't help myself. 'Touch us….."

Not ready to listen to the impersonation of her breasts yet again, Tara cut Willow off in a forceful kiss, pressing their bodies close together as her tongue found its way into Willow's mouth.

After breaking the kiss, Tara leaned back just enough to pull her peasant top over her head so she was clad in only her bra. "Now you can touch them as much as you want."

Instead of attacking her breasts with her hands and mouth as Tara had expected, Willow stood from her lap and started to pace back and forth in front of the bed. Tara frowned, concerned.

Before she could ask what was wrong, Willow started to speak, "Tara, I've been thinking about something for a while now, and I think I should tell you because I can't really do it without you. I guess technically I can, and I have a little, but it's really not the same and I'm pretty sure it will be infinitely better if you're there too."

"Sweetie, I'm not quite sure what you're talking about," Tara said, although she had a strong suspicion about where this was going.

"What I'm trying to say is that I'm ready to, you know, do it!" Willow finally spit out.

"Me too," Tara answered simply.

"Really?" Willow's eyes were filled with insecurity.

"Oh yes," Tara responded.

"Well, ok, then, so we're both ready to do it, and we're here. Alone. In a room with a locking door on a Friday night. So I guess we should do it right now," Willow concluded.

Tara smiled softly at her adorable girlfriend. "Sweetie, there is no pressure. But if you're ready I would love to…" she paused for a moment, searching for the right phrase. "…make love with you tonight." It was cheesy but with Willow no other description seemed appropriate.

"So tonight then." Tara could literally see Willow's brain at work, and wondered if the redhead would be willing to skip days of planning and mental preparation for this event. "Ok, let's do it," Willow stated definitively after the pause.

Tara caressed Willow's arm down to her hand, which she took into both of her own. "No pressure," she repeated. "We'll just see where it goes and how we are feeling." She guided Willow back to the bed and kissed her gently.

Willow returned the kiss with a hunger that told Tara where the night would probably be headed. She felt her chest grow hot at the thought of finally physically expressing her love for her beautiful girlfriend in the most complete way possible. Willow's lip left her own to trial down her neck and Tara felt her bra being unclasped by expert hands.

"You are gorgeous," Willow murmured as she took both breasts into her hands.

Tara leaned forward to claim those soft lips once again as her hands slipped under Willow's sweater.

"So are you," Tara responded as she broke the contact long enough to lift the sweater over Willow's head. The action was accompanied by a crackling sound created as red hairs clung to the fuzzy sweater as it passed over them. Tara giggled and added, "Even with your hair sticking straight up."

"What?" Willow exclaimed, her hands flying to her hair.

"Just teasing." Tara lovingly ran her hands through Willow's hair several times, soothing the static until the red strands were obediently flat once again.

"Hmph."

Tara only let her pout for a moment, before leaning close to blow hot air into her ear until Willow could no longer hold the serious expression. In the eight months that they had been dating, Tara had prided herself in figuring out all the sure ways to make her girlfriend laugh. Kissing the ear she had been blowing on, Tara reached one hand behind Willow's back to snap the clasp of her bra open.

Before she could touch the skin she had just bared, Tara felt herself being pushed into a lying position by insistent hands and a warm weight settle on top of her as a wet mouth attached itself to her chest. With a soft sigh, Tara relaxed into the bed and enjoyed the sensations of a warm tongue laving her chest and a hand that had discovered the slit in her long skirt and was tickling the outside of her thigh.

However, when the hand slipped to the inside of her thigh and fingers brushed against a place where she had never been touched, Tara couldn't stop herself from gasping loudly.

Willow jumped and yanked the hand away. "Sorry, sorry, sorry. Too fast; that was too fast, wasn't it?"

"Willow, shhhh. You just surprised me." Tara reached for the wandering hand and gently led it back to where it had been a moment ago. Their eyes locked and Tara was aware of nothing but the sound of their heaving breaths and the sensation of blood rushing behind her ears.

Soon though, Willow broke the silence. "So we're doing this. We're going to do this." Her fingers moved tentatively and Tara bit back another huge gasp, not wanting to scare Willow again. The fabric of her panties was thin as it was and when totally soaked through it was almost as though Willow were touching her directly. "I like doing this," Willow commented. "I like touching you and this is a new kind of touching for us, but it's a kind I'm going to enjoy a lot. And, wow, you are _wet_."

A hot blush spread over her face, and Tara shifted her body to move her center away from Willow's tickling fingers.

"No, no!" Willow exclaimed. "I wasn't trying to embarrass you. I love it. I love you. And don't worry you are not the only one who is wet. I'm, like, about to soak through these jeans and knowing that you're wet too is just making is worse. And I need to stop saying 'wet', but, wowzah, I am turned on right now so brain not really working and, please, can I touch you again?"

Though she could never express it in so many words, Tara was in the same state of arousal and was desperate to have Willow touch her again. And very ready to take things a little further. So instead of answering, she lifted her hips a couple of inches off the bed and slipped her hands under the waistbands of both her skirt and panties and pushed it all down, kicking the garments off of her ankles so that she was completely exposed.

"Wow," Willowed whispered in a tone so low that Tara could hardly pick up on it even with their faces only inches apart. The rambling babble that Tara had expected never came and Willow continued to stare at her with an expression that could only be described as awe. Instead of embarrassment or shame about her full figure, Tara only felt heat, arousal, and an intense desire to touch and be touched.

Luckily Willow seemed to be on the same page, and spoke again to murmured, "Can I?", her fingers almost touching Tara's heat.

"Please!" Tara responded urgently, arching upwards to encourage the touch.

Willow's finger felt cool compared to the intense heat radiating from her center, but the sensation was not unpleasant, rather it was indescribably amazing. It was all Tara could do to stay still as Willow took her time brushing her fingers lightly up and down. Tara resisted begging her to touch more, touch harder and instead sought out the redhead's lips to kiss her over and over as she allowed Willow's hand to explore uninterrupted for several minutes.

"Ohhh!" Tara felt more than heard her loud moan that escaped between their lips as Willow's fingers grazed her clit.

"Ah-ha!" Willow exclaimed excitedly.

Tara broke out of her sexual haze long enough to quirk an eyebrow as Willow in amusement.

Willow flushed visibly. "Sorry, it's just that I was looking for that. That's your, um, well, you know. It is, isn't it?"

Tara could only respond with another moan that she hope expressed the affirmative as Willow gently rubbed a finger up and down the spot she had just found.

"Am I hurting you? I know it can be sensitive, and I won't feel bad if you tell me that I'm doing something wrong. I don't want to hurt you." Willow stilled her hand and looked at Tara expectantly.

Blinking several times and trying to get her heavy breathing under control, Tara tried to figure out why the intense feelings of pleasure had suddenly ended. How had her moans given Willow the impression that she was being hurt in any way?

Knowing that Willow would not continue until she received a response, Tara gathered her senses enough to say, "Doesn't hurt. So, so good."

"Ok, but promise you'll tell me if I hurt you?"

Tara nodded, but added, "You won't hurt me, Will."

Her eyes fell closed as Willow once again started moving a finger around, this time in tight circles. Tara couldn't help but move her hips in appreciation, even as she bit her lip to get her body to calm down some so that it didn't end too soon.

"You are so sexy," she heard Willow say and she opened her eyes in response. Willow's eyes were shinning, the dark of her pupils covering most of her beautiful irises. Tara lifted her head off the pillow enough to kiss Willow deeply. The length of their bodies pressed together, but Tara frowned in displeasure when the union of soft skin was hindered by denim.

Catching her breath from the kiss, Tara managed to get out the words, "Pants. Off. You. Naked," between gasps for air. She shifted her body so that her hands could unfasten the button and fly of Willow's jeans, but her efforts of tugging the tight fabric down thin hips were useless.

"I'm going to have to stop touching you if you want me to do that," Willow murmured against Tara's cheek.

"Then do it fast," Tara responded, feeling the loss acutely when Willow removed her hand to obey.

Tara glimpsed red curls and milky thighs only for a moment before Willow had pressed their bodies back together and her hand sought out its former position.

"This isn't right, is it?" Willow asked after a moment, her fingers rubbing a spot just a little higher then where they had been before.

Tara shook her head apologetically. "Go down a little."

Willow obeyed, but overcorrected and Tara had to tell her, "Not that far."

"Here?"

"Close." Tara closed her eyes to concentrate better. "Just a little more...oh god, right there!"

"Hmmm, Willow," Tara hummed as she felt her body tighten.

"Can you open your eyes, baby?" Willow asked softly. "I want to see that beautiful blue."

Tara's lashes fluttered as she forced her eyes to open. It was worth it the effort, as she was greeted by the sight of Willow's perfect features in macro view.

"Gorgeous," Willow stated breathlessly. "I love you so much, Tara."

Unable to use words to generate an appropriate response, Tara smiled and claimed Willow's lips as her own. Her body was so close to the breaking point, she just needed one more thing to get her there. Shifting slightly onto her side, she reached a hand out, blinding groping for Willow's heat. The movements caused Willow's finger to slide off of her slippery clit, but to Tara's relief Willow found her way back much faster than the first time.

"What are you doing, baby?" Willow asked.

Tara didn't answer, as she was distracted by the new sensation of coarse hair tickling her fingers.

"Oh, that what you're doing," Willow groaned as Tara pushed the hairs aside to land on warm, wet skin.

The act of touching Willow paired with the continued stimulation to her clit was all it took for Tara to definitively slip over the edge. Her body arched and she could no longer obey Willow's request to keep her eyes open. They squeezed closed as her whole body went tense and waves of pleasure washed through her.

As her body began to relax her eyes opened slowly to find Willow staring at her with an expression of pure love. Tara's heart flooded with the intensity of their connection, and she used all her remaining energy to wrap her free hand around Willow's head to pull her down and give her a long and deep kiss.

Slowly recovering her senses, Tara realized that she was pressed against the naked length of her girlfriend and that her hand was still buried between Willow's thighs. This knowledge gave her the energy that she needed to gently roll Willow onto her back and to start stroking up and down the length of her center, teasingly.

Willow groaned in response and said, "You don't need to do this."

"I want to," Tara replied with a low growl and a nip to Willow's earlobe. "I want to make you feel as incredible as you made me feel."

And Tara was beginning to realize that touching Willow might possibly be more pleasurable than having Willow touch her. It was deliriously arousing to know that her actions were the cause of all the delicious moaning and squirming that she was witnessing. Willow was so slippery that she was having a hard time keeping her fingers on the spot that maximized the happy-Willow-sounds and her hand was quickly becoming coated with sticky wetness.

Finding a spot on her girl's neck, Tara latched on and continued her touches until she heard a voice speak up. "Tara? What you're doing feels really good, but do you think you could maybe…" The unfinished request hung in the air.

"What sweetie?" Tara stroked damp strands of red hair from Willow's forehead with the arm the rested near their heads and supported much of Tara's body weight.

"I was just wondering if you could…" Willow trailed off once again.

"Willow, relax," Tara soothed. "Tell me what you want, my love. You can ask me anything."

"Can you, um, go, ah, inside me?" Her voice was almost imperceptibly quiet by the end of the sentence.

Tara flushed with excitement at the thought and stroked her finger downwards. Willow was so wet that she slid effortlessly into the tight entrance, hot folds hugging her finger. She gasped at the feeling, enjoying have Willow wrapped around her in such a literal sense.

"Do you want me to move?" Tara asked after giving them both a moment to adjust to the new sensation.

Willow nodded her head rapidly. "Yes, in and out."

Obeying, Tara could feel muscles rapidly adjusting around her fingers. It was a tight fit, but she was met with no resistance. Turning her hand up, she simultaneously curled the finger inside Willow upwards and moved her thumb back up to the redhead's clit.

"Fuck, Tara, gah. Keep doing that."

Tara smiled into Willow's neck. She had never heard her girlfriend use that word, and she enjoyed the dirty language more than she would have expected. Continuing the same movements, Tara enjoyed the sounds of Willow's pleasure. After several minutes, Tara could feel the arm that was supporting her body weight begin to go numb and she made a mental note to try a different position next time. However, she couldn't concentrate on that slight discomfort for long, as Willow's breathing suddenly became even more rapid.

"Tara, Tara, Tara," Willow chanted. "Fuck, Tara, oh god. I'm going to… Tara!"

Tara stopped kissing Willow's neck so she could lift her head and watch the body lying against her contract with pleasure. The muscles around her fingers tightened rhythmically and Willow's face contorted and then relaxed all at once as she collapsed back into the mattress, pulling Tara fully on top of her. The movement caused Tara's finger to slip out from its warm location, and Tara started to wipe her soaked hand on the sheets before she had a better idea and brought it up to her mouth for a quick sample.

Wrapping her arms tightly around Willow, Tara shifted them so they were more on their sides and her weight no longer crushing the thin girl. Willow was still limp and her body fell heavily into Tara. Rubbing Willow's lower back with one hand and stroking red hair with the other, Tara closed her eyes and let the intensity of their connection and love wash over her. Unexpectedly, she felt was eyes fill with tears and she blinked rapidly, trying to clear them before Willow noticed.

"Wow," Willow sighed after some time had passed. "I never thought that would be so perfect. I think it was just the most perfect thing I have ever experienced. Do you feel that way? It was good for you too, right?" Willow propped her head up and Tara knew she was caught. "Oh my god, why are you crying? Are you ok?" Slim fingers brushed against her face, catching the tears as they fell.

"I'm sorry," Tara sniffed. "I don't know why I'm crying; I just so happy and I love you so much."

Willow smiled. "I love you too. And I'm feeling the emotional overload too, don't worry."

"Yeah, that was…intense."

"Good intense, right?" Her face begged for reassurance.

"Very good," Tara rushed to clarify. "I've never felt so connected to other person in my life."

"And it was good in the orgasm-y way too, right?"

Tara giggled and brushed the last of her tears away. "Yes, sweetie. You were perfect."

"Not quite," Willow contradicted. "But you know what will make me perfect?"

"Hmm?" Tara asked, a feeling of bliss washing over her as she drowned in her love for this woman.

"Lots and lots of practice!"


End file.
